If you go
› What: 20th annual National Cornbread Festival.› When: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 23; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 24 (all times Central), rain or shine.› Where: 212 S. Cedar Ave., South Pittsburg, Tenn.› Admission: $5 per day; free for preschoolers.› Website: nationalcornbread.com.
Cornbread Alley is a chance to sample some unusual cornbread recipes whipped up by nine nonprofit organizations. For $4, you can sample all nine creations.You don’t have to like cornbread to go to the National Cornbread Festival, scheduled Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24, in South Pittsburg, Tenn.
You can show up for the music – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder will headline
Or the classic car cruise-in – just park your sweet ride at the Dixie Freeze.
Or the arts and crafts show – more than 70 exhibitors will showcase their home-produced merchandise.
Or the historic tour of homes – this year’s tour showcases a neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places, ending at the Lodge Manufacturing Co. foundry, which is only open for tours during the festival.
So, yes, there’s plenty to do besides eat cornbread. But don’t be silly. This is the South. Who doesn’t like cornbread?
Entertainment will go nonstop on four stages, and there will be quilt, tractor and grist mill exhibits, along with Dutch oven and chuckwagon cooking demonstrations. A carnival from Kissel Rides is already set up, and there’s a large children’s play area.
The centerpiece of the festival is the National Cornbread Cook-Off, which takes place Saturday. Five cooks hailing from Colorado (two), Maryland, Florida and Texas will be under a big tent stirring up their best main-dish cornbread creations, hoping to win $5,000 and the coveted cast-iron skillet crown, among other prizes. A second cook-off this year will give five former cook-off judges a chance to win $2,000 for charity. Another open to 4-H students will award a $500 prize to a young cook.
But if you want to feast on cornbread, you’ll need to find your way to Cornbread Alley, where nine organizations will serve up nine creative recipes, such as Blueberry Cornbread and Timberlake Hushpuppies. You can get a plate with all nine samples for $4.
If you show up early Sunday, you can start the day with a short stack at the pancake breakfast. Just remember to save room for cornbread.
Schedule
All times are Central.TodayWeeklong carnival by Kissel Rides opens at 6 p.m. today and Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.Friday, April 226 p.m. Opening ceremonies7-11 p.m. Street dance featuring Legacy9 p.m. FireworksSaturday, April 238 a.m. 5K Run/Walk9 a.m. 5K race results and awards (Tower Community Bank Stage)9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 4-H Cornbread Cook-Off heats (Second Street Cook-Off Stage)10 a.m.-5 p.m. Bluegrass, old time and traditional music (Jamming Tent)10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours of historic neighborhoods (sign up at Light No. 3)10 a.m.-8 p.m. Classic Car Cruise-in at the Dixie Freeze10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lodge Foundry plant toursNoon. 4-H Cook-Off winners announced (First Volunteer Stage)1 p.m. Martha White Charity Cook-Off (Second Street Cook-Off Stage)1:30 p.m. 2016 Miss National Cornbread Festival contest winners introduced (First Volunteer Stage)3 p.m. Lodge Cast Iron National Championship Cook-Off heat (First Volunteer Stage)5 p.m. National Cornbread Festival Cook-Off winners announced (First Volunteer Stage)6 p.m. Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (First Volunteer Stage)Sunday, April 247:30-10 a.m. Rotary Club pancake breakfast for Marion County Children’s Fund (Second Street Cook-Off Stage)8-9 a.m. Community worship service (Tower Community Bank Stage)10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours of historic neighborhoods (sign up at Light No. 3)10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lodge Foundry plant tours1-4 p.m. Bluegrass, old time and traditional music (Jamming Tent)2 p.m. Red Roots (First Volunteer Stage)3:30 p.m. Bryan White (First Volunteer Stage)
The National Cornbread Festival makes use of the entire downtown district in South Pittsburg, Tenn.